The present invention provides a resource management scheme for a content provider in a computer network.
Predicting web server capacity can be a problem with serious financial repercussions. Often a hosting provider maintains a computer network and leases capacity to a content provider. The hosting provider may be contractually obligated to guarantee that it will provide server capacity sufficient to meet demand to the content provider's site. A failure to meet demand may mean lost revenue for the content provider. A failure to meet capacity guarantees may mean lost revenue to the hosting provider. On the other hand, providing static capacity for a content provider may be financially disadvantageous to the hosting provider. If a server is dedicated for the use of a first content provider but is under used, the excess capacity could be used to service a second content provider and generate additional revenues.
Ideally, a hosting provider would provide server resources to a content provider in a manner that ebbs and flows with the demand for service from the provider's site. New servers would be added to the provider's site as the demand for the site increases. The new server may be included in a round robin DNS pool of machines and aliased to a particular host name. However, the act of booting up a server and loading it with information content from the content provider takes time. It may not be possible to load the server in enough time to meet a sharp, unexpected rise in customer demand. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a resource management scheme for host networks that dedicates new servers to host sites in real-time with escalating demand.